Bringing dead films back to life one review at a time

February 23rd, 2013: Island of Terror (1966)

What It’s About: On a remote island, an experiment at a research lab goes wrong, producing “silicates” that are nearly indestructible and feed on bone and tissue. Can pathologist Dr. Stanley (Peter Cushing) figure out what’s going on and find a way to stop the creatures-before it’s too late?

Why Watch it Today?: Director Terence Fisher, one of Hammer Studios regulars, was born 109 years ago today. Island of Terror was one of Fisher’s projects outside of Hammer, but with Cushing along for the ride and his usual style, it’s easy to mistake it for one of their many mid-20th century horror films, although this one tilts more towards a 50s American-style “scientists in an isolated location fight off a science-created monsters” than Hammer’s Gothic horrors of the same time period.